A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! To the guest who reviewed, yes, it has a happy ending; I'm a huge Disney happily-ever-after-for-everyone kinda girl. :) Also, I realize, thanks to Breyannia, that I made an error in time range because Azula hasn't even used fire to fly yet and I had Zuko mentioning it. Oh well, no one's perfect and this is, after all, MY world..mwuahahaahaa! On to the story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own mind!

Iroh watched with a bit of trepidation as the massive wind bison floated back down to where he was. He wondered if they realized they held his fate in their young hands. Then again, he thought, they may very well know that better than even he realized. It was a sobering thought. When the avatar's bison had finally descended far enough and the three young people were floating across from him the boy, Sokka, he reminded himself, was the one to speak first. "Ok, here's what we decided" he began "we don't trust you…" with a roll of her eyes the girl beside him muttered "obviously" rather snidely. Sokka turned and glared at her before continuing. "As I was saying, we don't trust you so you need to give us something that will show us good faith." The old general's eyes narrowed ever so slightly; this could be bad. "We have yet to see Zuko" the boy began, and Iroh's stomach took a nosedive. The worst that could happen, was about to happen. Just to save his own skin how could he betray the boy who'd been like a son to him? "We know you two are never far apart, or if you are you know where he is. If you can produce Zuko and we confirm there is no ambush then we'll take you down to the foot of the cliff on Appa." Iroh's breath made a small whoosh as his worst fear was confirmed. It had come to this. Oh fate was a cruel mistress.

The small motion the old man made when Zuko was mentioned did not go unnoticed by Katara. Her eyes narrowed as she considered what he was hiding, because she was sure now, he was hiding something. Iroh hesitated before replying to Sokka, the need for survival still ran strong in him, but the love for his nephew-turned-almost-adopted-son was far greater. He would not offer the boy up to them to become a living joke, a magnet for their ridicule and disgust. Their hatred would only serve to make them into monsters, and he wasn't sure Zuko's fragile psyche could handle that kind of peer pressure at such a delicate time. No, the boy wasn't delicate, but timing was everything, and now was not the time. Iroh was certain of that. Not to mention how Zuko would feel if Iroh placed him in such a situation simply to save himself. No, he would not betray him.

He took a deep breath. "Zuko is not with me. I cannot do as you ask." Katara gave small snort and Sokka glanced at her quickly out of the corner of his eye. She looked away. "He's not here? Where is he?" asked Aang when everyone else had become silent. Iroh looked almost gently at the avatar; he was so young. "We separated along the way. I do not know where he might be now." The boy blinked. "Oh" was all he said. "So that's it then?" Sokka recovered his voice. "You're sticking with that huh?" The old general's heart dropped a little further into his stomach as his fate was about to be sealed. "Of course. I told you, we went our separate ways." Katara shrugged and glared in his general direction "if that's it we can go now, we're kind of on a schedule here you know!" she said pointedly; Sokka pursed his lips and nodded.

Aang was frowning. "Guys are you sure about this? I mean this just doesn't look right, and I don't think there's a trap. He could die if we leave him here…" Katara glared at him. "And your point being..?" The poor avatar wilted beneath her gaze and muttered half under his breath "well…um…it's against my.." Katara made a sound in her throat, "oh don't make me laugh!" she hissed, "This guy's not worth it. Let's get going already!"

Before Aang could even decide what to do, a voice shouted up from far below them. "HEY! I'M DOWN HERE! NOW HELP MY UNCLE DOWN OFF THAT CLIFF!" Iroh felt his stomach clench with dread. Oh no, no he couldn't have. This was the worst thing he could have done. Zuko was offering himself up like a sacrifice; did he even realize what he was doing? His thought changed, was the boy stronger than he realized? For Zuko's sake, he hoped so.

The moment they heard it three heads simultaneously snapped around and down, looking for the origin of the voice. "That's Zuko alright" Sokka began, "where is he?" Katara laid a hand on her brother's arm. "Be careful Sokka, it could still be a trap." He nodded "I know but we did promise to help." He gave a sideways glance at the old man in question, noticing his face looked rather ashen and he seemed shaken up. "Let's move away a bit." He directed at Aang. The avatar moved Appa far enough to be difficult to hear from the cliff. "I don't like this." Katara stated quickly. "The old man says he's not here and then he's here, something's not right." Nodding Sokka agreed. "He looks freaked out to me. When Zuko hollered, the man's face went all gray and he looked like he was really worried." For the moment they were in agreement.

"I SAID I'M DOWN HERE, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" Zuko never had been a very patient person, and now was certainly no exception. Aang was thinking as he looked down trying to see where his often pursuer might be. Finally making up his mind he jumped up, grabbing his staff and flicked the wing open, preparing to jump and glide down to the ground below. "Aang!" Katara cried "what are you doing? You're going to fly right into his trap!" Aang looked over at her sadly. "I think you have this all wrong, and if you can't make the right decision I will do it. Appa and the two of you will be safe up here." Sokka vehemently disagreed "Aang this is crazy!" "You're risking it all!" Katara added quickly. "I'm the avatar, I'll be fine." He was about to jump when Sokka grabbed his ankle. "No, Aang. We do this together." Katara instantly turned on him. "What, are you crazy?" "No Katara, Aang is going to do this anyway, we may as well be down there to help him." The angry girl glared at her brother but leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, suit yourselves." Aang leaned his weight back and gave a small smile to Sokka. "Thank you Sokka." He flicked his glider staff closed, guiding Appa down in the direction of the voice of the boy who'd spent so much time tracking him.

As they approached, Zuko moved slightly behind the tree he'd been using to hide and removed one of his crutches, the one he had been using on the side of him that was not behind the tree. He looked down at his body self-consciously. No one had seen him since the explosion besides his uncle, and here were the three people who hated him most. He was terrified. He could almost feel the bile coming up in his throat; his heart was pounding so loud he was sure they must be able to hear it.

He was once again helpless. If they decided to attack he could do nothing, he had no fire, uncle couldn't help from two hundred feet up, and he couldn't even stand without crutches much less enter combat. By the time the huge wind bison had landed Zuko was breathing hard and trying not to with no success. "Calm down you idiot! What's wrong with you? Do you want to pass out right now?!" he lectured himself inside his head as he tried to find some measure of calm and strength, things he would need in order to meet his enemies face to face with his head held high.

For a moment after they landed no one moved. All three were in battle positions, waiting for some surprise attack that wasn't going to happen. After a minute of just waiting Aang relaxed and hopped off Appa. "Aang, where are you going?" Katara called after him. "We're here to see Zuko right? Well, let's do this so we can get going again." She almost raised an eyebrow; that was rather adult of him actually. Brother and sister shared a glance before simultaneously hoping down and slowly following the avatar, battle-ready.

Suddenly they saw Zuko. Katara's mouth dropped open and she gasped aloud. Sokka almost jumped at the sound but kept his eyes on Zuko. Aang had stopped moving. Was this the boy prince who had dogged their every step in his quest to deliver the avatar up to his father? He was gaunt, his hair shaggy, clothes baggy, tattered and threadbare, what was left of them. His skin was pock marked and lined with large, ugly, ropy scars that that nearly marred most of the skin that could be seen. There was hardly a place where one could see natural, flawless skin. The boy looked like he was almost hiding behind a large tree. Katara looked into his eyes and was almost certain she saw fear there. Fear? Her brow knotted slightly, what would Prince Zuko have to be afraid of? Certainly not them. She felt a strange dread suddenly that had nothing to do with the growing twilight of evening.

No one spoke. They just stood as if reluctant to upset the quiet. It was Zuko who finally made the first move. He had been foolish he realized. There could be no hiding, he would have to step around that tree and they would see, see what he'd become, how much, or little, of him was left; his weakness and ultimate shame. The last people on earth he would have wanted to see him this way, and they were right in front of him. It was almost too much to bear.

He took a deep breath and nearly shuddered. He grabbed his other crutch he'd been hiding behind the tree and placed it under his arm. He noted wariness at what he was grabbing and then surprise registering on their faces when they realized what he held. It was now or never. Suddenly, somehow, the next few steps he was about to take seemed harder than the first steps he'd taken after he'd lost his leg. His chin came up, his eyes grew determined. He was a fighter, and this was a battle, one he had to win; for himself, and for uncle.

He stepped around the tree and hobbled forward a bit, halting when he was fully out from behind the tree and nothing was obscuring him from their view. Katara let out a small cry and clapped her hands over her mouth, staggering back a step and looking away, then back again as if hypnotized by morbid fascination. Sokka's face was white and he was frozen in a stare, unable to look away. Aang, too, was frozen in place, the shock on his face clear; trusty staff slipping from nerveless fingers as he stared in silent horror. The beloved glider staff landed on the ground with a bit of a clatter and a thump, causing everyone within earshot to jump, startled. High above Iroh watched the drama unfolding with grim frustration. How he longed to be down there, protecting Zuko from what he was sure would come.

It turned out to be Katara who recovered from her shock first. She was still unable to perform much basic thought besides the questions how and why and the horror and reality of what she was seeing. She tried the brave front approach. Crossing her arms over her chest she stood up straight and tried to glare into his face. She tried, but she couldn't. Some part of her, a part that still saw the prince as a human being, had a hold on her, and she couldn't look Zuko in the eye. Pity; she realized, it was pity.

He was no longer a threat; that much she could discern. Her mind was beginning to return to her from the shock and she took a deep breath, steeling herself and making her disagreeable self look the boy in the eye. She could see an almost desperate defiance shining through and she nearly faltered. Was this the same person she hated? Could she even truly hate this broken husk of a boy? Thoroughly shaken she looked away from his gaze once again, to see Sokka looking kind of green. Her eyes widened and she looked over at Aang. His face seemed pained, sad. Of course, he felt for Zuko, Katara realized, the avatar was compassionate.

After several minutes that seemed like hours no one had spoken and no one moved. Finally, Zuko found his voice and more of his courage. "Please." He asked hoarsely, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat, "you've seen me; I'm no threat to you. There is no army, no ambush. Please help uncle down from the cliff and leave us in peace." Peace. The word seemed to galvanize Sokka into action. "Peace?!" He nearly shouted, making both Aang and Katara jump and stare at him in surprise. Zuko's head snapped up from where it had lowered as he had begged for uncle's life. "You want to be left in peace? Is that supposed to be a joke? Because I don't think it's funny." He sneered. "After all the trouble you've put us through do you really expect us to just leave you in peace? The way I see it, we have the son of the Fire Lord defenseless and right in front of us." He snatched his weapon and surged forwards, bringing the blade up to Zuko's throat in a move faster than anyone could track.

"Sokka!" Gasped both Katara and Aang at the same time. "What are you doing?!" Katara continued in shock. "What I've wanted to do for a long time now." Sokka growled. Zuko blinked and swallowed, fear clawing at his stomach, the will to fight making his fists twitch over the handles of his crutches, and the feel of the cool blade against his throat, keeping him still. He wanted to close his eyes, to hide from watching the eyes of the boy who hated him enough to consider killing him in cold blood when he was practically defenseless. He hated that feeling. Hated it with a passion. He, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation hadn't been defenseless in a long time and now, it stung.

Aang finally found his voice again. "Sokka don't do this. He may be our enemy but this is wrong. This just makes you a bully Sokka, mean and cruel and a monster." Sokka's gaze flicked to Aang and back to Zuko just as fast. "NO!" He spat out "HE'S the monster, not me!" Zuko gave a tiny, involuntary shudder when his worst fears since the explosion had been realized; that's right, he was a monster now. The involuntary movement caused the blade against his throat to bite into his flesh, slicing into his neck almost imperceptibly, yet enough to cause a thin line of blood to well up and trickle down his neck. It was the blood that finally thawed Katara from her frozen shock and she moved swiftly over to Sokka and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sokka" she murmured quietly "Aang is right. Zuko may have been a monster in the way he treated us, but doing this now makes you a much worse monster than that." Her face twisted in a grimace "I have no love for him, but this isn't right and you know it." Several long, tense moments passed before the angry Sokka pulled the blade away from Zuko's throat and backed up a few steps, coolly wiping the edge of his blade on the ground. "Thank you Sokka." He threw an angry glance at Katara and stormed away to the other side of the clearing, weapon firmly in hand.

Katara and Aang looked at each other in distress but said nothing. Katara turned back to the boy in front of her and realized the flow of blood started by her brother's blade had not slowed. She reached down to the hem of her garment and ripped off a piece. Stepping forwards slowly she reached out towards Zuko's neck, fabric in hand. Zuko recovered his mental equilibrium quickly at that point, realizing what she had planned. He stumbled back on his crutches, nearly losing his balance. Katara stopped and simply held the cloth out to him. "Here" she murmured, "you need to stop the bleeding." Zuko looked at her strangely but carefully balanced himself and slowly reached forward to take the small piece of torn clothing from her hand and place it to his neck. He cleared his throat nervously, the vibration against his hand almost distracting him for a moment. "I…" he started again, "Please bring uncle down from the cliff. I met your demands." Katara couldn't help but be moved and she looked over at Aang; he smiled softly at her. She looked over where Sokka was studiously ignoring them all and sighed. For all her own arguments as to why they shouldn't help, she knew now that they must. "Aang…" she started, and looked pointedly up to the cliff. The avatar nodded and hopped onto Appa, quickly flying up and bringing the old man aboard. In no time at all they were back on the ground and Iroh was sliding out of the saddle, half falling on the ground and stumbling, but staggering back onto his feet and nearly running to Zuko. Moments before he reached him, he saw the defiance in the boy's eyes and reined himself in. It would not do to weaken him more in front of his enemies, especially considering how beholden they were to them now.

"Thank you" he said quietly in their direction, to whoever wanted to answer him. "I owe you my life." Aang nodded silently. "We should go." Katara said flatly, and began to walk towards Appa. Once in the saddle she hesitated; then, swiftly, she took some supplies from their stash and hopped back down to the ground and came up to stand in front of Zuko and Iroh. "Here." She said shortly. "So help me if you waste this stuff I'll find you and make you wish you hadn't!" The water bender pinned the rag-tag two with a strong gaze then turned on her heel and stalked off, climbing up on Appa and looking for all the world as if she were the only person on earth. Aang looked between Zuko and Iroh to Katara and Sokka, the latter still looking like an ominous thundercloud.

The avatar shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave. He looked back at Zuko "I'm sorry I can't help more and I'm sorry for Sokka." He sighed "just try to remember what happened here today, the next time you're deciding to come after us. That's all I ask." He turned back towards Appa and hopped up onto the bison's head. "Sokka…" he called hesitantly "we're leaving." The walking thundercloud crashed over to Appa and jumped into the saddle, crossing his arms and sitting as far away from Katara as possible, eyes nearly shooting lightning bolts. With a "yip yip" from Aang, the giant flying bison rose into the air and quickly spiraled into the sky and disappeared from view.

There were a few moments of silence before Iroh turned and grabbed Zuko in a strong hug. The boy froze for a moment, and then reached around and awkwardly hugged back. Iroh was so overjoyed that they were both safe and together he could hardly contain himself. Finally after a few more moments Zuko had enough and let it be known. "Uncle, you're going to crack some ribs if you keep squeezing me." Uncle quickly released him and stepped back. "I am sorry Prince Zuko; it is just that I am so happy we survived this." Steadying himself with his crutch again, Zuko nodded. "Yes, I admit I had begun to worry. I know they had no reason to help, and now…" he hesitated and looked away. Iroh understood. "You're feeling the sting of a moral dilemma." Zuko's eyes snapped back to his uncle's. "How did you know?" The old man gave a small half-smile. "I know because I know you, and because I am feeling the same thing." After a few moments "I can also tell you have regained your memory completely. That can only mean you are fighting yourself." Zuko was surprised to say the least, how did uncle know? Never mind, uncle always seemed to know things. Not wanting to discuss it further he suggested they start heading back to camp.

Naturally the question arose if Zuko even knew how to get back, to which he replied that he wasn't that much of a city boy. Iroh gave a small snort and his nephew not-so-gently mock punched him in the arm. Uncle pretended to clutch his arm in undue pain and moaned about how abusive his nephew had become since the boy had been left on his own. Zuko turned away and smiled, not wanting his uncle to see him amused. It was in vain. "Aha! I saw that!" Uncle said exultantly, "you smiled! I always thought I was funny" he grinned; "now I know I am!" Zuko shook his head "no uncle, you just think you are". Uncle slapped a hand over his heart "oh cruel boy you wound me to the core!" he moaned pathetically. Zuko rolled his eyes and moved forward, leaving the old man behind. "Come along o' wounded one; at your pace we'll never get back to camp. Oh, and grab those supplies they left would you? Might come in handy." Picking up the supplies from the ground Iroh raised his eyebrows. "Camp? You do realize it's dark now, right?" The boy stopped walking and turned around to look at his uncle. "Uncle, I never knew you were afraid of the dark, why didn't you tell me?" Iroh snorted a burst of laughter and shook his head. "Sure you can find your way in the dark?" Zuko half-glared at his uncle and turned back around, moving ahead again. "Of course uncle, after all, I found you didn't I?"

A/N: Yay, they're back together! All's well in their world; well, kind of. Anyway, let me know what you think and stay tuned, more plot advancement to be had soonety soonish soon!